Tatum Hopkins | 24 | Female | Basketball Player and Songwriter | M: Archer (dir.), Other influencers (ind./ dir.)

Tatum sat in the baggage claim area at the Los Angeles airport on her phone mindlessly scrolling through social media. With the occasional person walking up to her with huge enthusiasm that made her perk up from the jet lag. Her hearing of young girls saying she was her role model or her biggest fan made her day each time. Tatum has never refused to take a photo or even sign something for her fans, she can take little moments of her day to make someone’s whole day lighten up by meeting her. Her eyes noticed an article with her name that most likely was emphasizing her career or belittling her in some cases as it was always one or the other. Though the headline was something she had to be reminded of each year, especially now she was in the mainstream media.

Tatum’s older brother Calvin 10 year anniversary of his death coming up soon: how is this basketball star coping?

She thought to herself Instead of guessing to get more views. Maybe ask or not project yourself in other's lives... Oh right! People with even a little ounce of fame does not get the space anymore..

She sat there in a moment of shock and realization settled in as she forgot it was indeed coming up. Tatum reached up to the temples of her hand to rub out the oncoming tension headache that threatened to arrive. She quickly got up to grab her baggage that slowly came into view. Tatum had turned to exit the building quickly and more important just to find some quiet from the buzzing conversations of everyone else around her.

Tatum had pushed through the swarms of people that were either exiting the airport to enjoy their time in the city or that were entering the airport. As she stepped out of the clammy and overly crowded airport, she drew in a deep breath of the Los Angeles air of ocean water and mixture of fast foods. The air was sticky and hot as she began to sweat from the hot temperatures of California weather. Tatum hated hot and humid weather with a burning passion as it made her uncomfortable and just miserable. Her mind was interrupted from the incoming call from her brother, Archer. She picked it up with a sarcastic tone “Archer, my favorite brother..”

In the other line, her brother said “Tatum, my beautiful and sweet sister.”

Tatum sighed “Alright, what do you need? Money or divorce attorney?”

Archer chuckles on the other and Tatum could picture him shaking his head. And she heard him ask “You plan on coming to the family dinner to memorize Calvin? Your nieces and nephews would love to see you..”

Tatum sucked in a breath hearing him ask her the question that she had been dreading from them to ask. “No. Especially since the last couple years, it’s been more about me than our own brother.. You know since mom and dad believe I need to be settling down or whatever other excuse they need to criticize about my adult life..”

Tatum paused as she got in a taxi and gave the taxi driver the directions to her new home. Plus now she was on the phone to distract her that she was in a car and not cause her to have a panic attack over it. Her head slumped back listening to Archer try to comfort or fail to persuade her to come to this dinner. Her foot tapped aggressively on the floorboard of the taxi. Tatum groaned “Look Archie, I’m not going. I can’t just put a halt in everything for this same old depressing dinner to be reprimanded to fit our mother’s perfect vision of her children. I can’t even bring a girl that I would date home without my mother's backhanded compliments and her noticeable fake nice gestures.”

Archer groaned “Fine. I get it. But are you really moving in with those influencers and all that?”

Tatum grumbled “Yes Archer… And I know. No need to lecture me. They are technically strangers at this point and all that. Blah. Blah. Blah. But I got to go. As I’m getting close to my new home and the moving company should be there by now and I still need to pick out my room…”

Archer tries to interject something else and Tatum yells “Oh no I’m losing signal. What I can’t hear you. Bye Archer!” And she aggressively hung up the phone, rolling her eyes. Overprotective older brothers are still overprotective when she is even an adult herself. She would rather be in the hot sun of California than her brothers try to lecture or be her parent. The taxi driver pulled over to a fancy house saying how much the total was and to have a nice day. Tatum reached for her wallet and gave the nice man the total and a 50 dollar tip for any troubles especially listening to her on the phone, the whole entire way.

Tatum grabbed her suitcase and her carry on bag and stepped out of the taxi eagerly wanting to go inside the house. Her pace quickened as she saw the front door in view as she grabbed the key that she was mailed earlier in the month. Tatum reached to untwist the lock and appeared into the house.

She called out “Hello? Anyone here?”

Time for new beginnings or well... Possibly the worst or best time of her life..